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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fine — all right
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com